A Plant-Based Diet Can Reduce Your Risk for Type 2 Diabetes, If You Do It Correctly

Type 2 diabetes is far more complicated than simply having eaten too much sugar.

However, preventing the escalation of prediabetes into type 2 diabetes can be simpler for some.

Approximately 22 percent of people diagnosed with prediabetes are able to prevent it from progressing to type 2 diabetes, according to a recent study from the Aging Research Center at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

ResearchTrusted Source published this week concluded that one of the most crucial factors in preventing type 2 diabetes and bringing blood sugars back into a healthier range comes down to embracing a plant-based diet.

“Plant-based dietary patterns, especially when they are enriched with healthful plant-based foods, may be beneficial for the primary prevention of type 2 diabetes,” explained the report.

“Plant-based” is a trendy term these days — and often implies veganism — but in this context, the focus of a plant-based diet is on eating mostly “real” food, including some animal protein and carbohydrates.

Processed foods vs. plant-based dietr
The most immediate benefit of a plant-based diet on the prevention of type 2 diabetes is the impact that non-plant-based foods have on blood sugar levels and insulin resistance.

However, research suggests the impact is actually broader.

“Plant-based diets may also reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes through lowering the risk of excess weight gain,” the researchers noted.

“Multiple interventional and observational studies have indicated that increased consumption of plant-based foods can lead to short-term weight loss or prevention of long-term weight gain,” explained the researchers. “In turn, it is likely that a considerable proportion of the protective association between plant-based diets and risk of type 2 diabetes can be attributable to weight control.”

Experts in diabetes care and prevention agree.

“What if we had a world without processed food in it?” said Mara Schwartz, CDE, RN, a coordinator of the Diabetes Prevention Program at Self Regional Healthcare in Greenwood, South Carolina. “We wouldn’t have the weight problems we have now if it weren’t for processed food. It would be very difficult to become obese while eating a whole-food, plant-based diet.”

Indulging in a bag of chips and a milkshake is a lot easier than eating a bowl of homemade whipped cream with fresh blueberries and strawberries.

In Schwartz’s work, she has seen the difference in outcomes when a client commits to changing their nutrition habits.

“People truly have to understand that what they put in their mouth affects their health,” Schwartz, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for decades, told Healthline. “You’re gonna have to commit to yourselves and acknowledge that your current diet is hurting you.”

The recent research recommends focusing on a plant-based diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts.

“Moreover, refined grains, starches, and sugars can also be characterized as plant-based, although they are independently associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes,” the researchers said.

The study also found a “protective” association against the development of type 2 diabetes when people consumed higher amounts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants through plant foods and lower amounts of red meats and processed meats.

The study doesn’t advise against eating healthier animal products, such as organic eggs, and lean proteins, like chicken, turkey, and pork.